Electric contact



Ma'rch 17, 1925.

1W. E` WILLIAMS 'ELECTRIC CONTACT Filed April 4, 1923 Patented Mar. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. WILLIAMS, O'F SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO MAURICE A. LYONS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC CONTACT.

Application filed April 4,

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known thatl I, IVILLIAM E. WIL- Lnnis, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in an Elect-ric Contact, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electric contacts arranged to be actuated by the opening of a door to close an electric circuit, to a buzzer or other alarm.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved Contact for closing an electric circuit.

Another object is to provide an improved device which may be detachably mounted upon the hinge of a door to cooperate therewith to close an elect-ric circuit when the door is in a. partially open position.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device adapted to facilitate installation and to occupy an extremely inconspicuous position.

A still further object is to provide a device of improved construction affording simplicity and effectiveness and which may be manufactured at an extremely low cost.

I accomplish these and other objects by means of the device disclosed in the drawings forming a. part of the present specification wherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar parts throughout said specification and drawings and in which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a portion of a door easement showing a portion of a hinge and my improved contact as applied therein.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section view of the hinge and contact.

Fig. 3 is a broken vertical section taken upon the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 in the direction indicated.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of my improved contact.

F ig. 5 is a view showing the blank from which the grounding contact is shaped.

Fig. 6 is a view showing the manner in which the insulating material and the second contact are assembled upon the grounding contact.

My invention is primarily intended for of a plan 1923. Serial No. 629,925.

mounting in association with a hinge and door to close an electric connection to a buzzer, bell, or other signaling device intended to give notice that the door has been opened. Referring particularly to the drawings the numeral l is used to denote a door mounted YWithin a easement 2 upon a hinge 8 consisting of a pair of butts e and 5 connected by means of the usual pintle 6. The hinge is commonly mounted with a portion of the butts and the pintle entending outwardly a slight distance from the door and easement to provide a clearance when the door is swungtto an open position. My improved contact consists of a pair of conductors .7 and 8 insulated from each other by means of a strip 9 of insulating material. The conductor 7, hereinafter termed the grounding contact, is formed from a stripv of. conductive metal, one end of which is doubled back in parallel relation to and slight-ly spaced from the body of the conductor to form a yoke adapted to lit over the upper edge of one of the butts of the hin-ge 3. The conductor 8 is formed from a slightly narrower strip of conductive metal, one end of the strip being shaped to provide a. resilient spring contact finger 10 arranged to extend over the other buttof the hinge 3 and to be engaged thereby when the hinge is in a partially open position as hereinafter more fully described.

The insulating strip 9, which may be of any suitable insulating material, is made of a width slightly greater than the conclue-- tor S, the edges of the strip 9 being folded around the edges of the strip 8. The conductor S and the insulating strip 9 are secured upon the conductor 7 by means of tabs 11 formed upon the edges of the conductor 7, said tabs being bent over and pressed against the folded edge of the insulating strip to hold the same firmly against the conductor 8.

The conductors 7 and 8 and the strip 9 are stamped from suitable sheet material and shaped as shown in the drawings. T he shaped parts are then assembled by placing the insulating strip 1 between the conductors as shown in Fig. `G of the drawings, the edges of the insulating material being folded over the edge of the conductor and the tabs l1 bent as shown in dotted lines,

Extensions 12 and 13 are outwardly bent upon the ends of the conductors 7 and 8 respectively' and apertured to 4receive terminals 14 and 15 of an electriccircuit.

The operation of the device is as follows. T he grounding contact 7 is pressed over the upper edge of one of nthe butts of the hinge v 3, and the terminals 14 and 15 ofan electric circuit, connected in the well knownYman-Vl ner through a suitable source of electrical energy to a buzzer or other-alarmnot-shown, attached upon the extensions 12 and 13. VVhenthe door 1'. and consequently the hinge 3, is in the 'closedpo'sition the contact finger 10 willieXtend-acrosstheother buttV of the hinge in slightlv spaced relation thereto. In practice -the device" is' mounted upon the :stationary butt 4 so Vthat theterminal-s will remaiivin iiXedposition upon theback of the hinge. The' placingj of the' conductor l'7" uponthe butt 4 causes the terminal '14: to: be

grounded uponthe hinge. Theconduct'or 8 ductorl 8' and.'Y the hinge whereby f the circuit willbe closed through'the hinge andthe biizzeifor other alarm caused'to sound in the usualfnrannei. "As tliedoor is further moved"theihingebutt' will be moved' past the finger 10 andth'e circuit thusbe broken wliilethef'door is open. 'The' outer 4end of the-'fingerl'lO is'upwardly turnedto permit the hinge' to'l be moved" thereunder' whenA returnedy to the `closed position.

Fromthe above' description it will be seen that-I have provided' a device `which is of extremely simple construction and which may be readilyiattached u'pontheordinary door'hinge.` :It will be noted' that no moving parts arerequiredthereby insuring durability'and permitting the device to be made at an extremely low cost. The contactsare "relatively small Vand being fitted closely' over the upperA edge of the hinge 'are very inconspicuous. rihe connections 14' and 15 are easily attached, and` being connected upon'tlie back of the hinge may be readily concealed so as not to martlie appearance of tlie'door.A The precise arrangement and construction of the parts may of course be modiedin many ways without departing lfrom the spirit of my invention. I thereforedo not wish to restrict myself closely to the disclosuremade but desire to avail my` vmoved therepastv 'by thev door'.

2. An electric contact comprising afconf-J lducto'r adapted l for detachable lengagement self of such modifications as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described myinvention what I claim'a-s new and'desire to secu-re by Letters Patent is 1. A n electric Contact comprising a conductor adapted for detachable engagement with one outwardly extending butt portion Yof the hinge of a door; a second conductorV secured in insulated relation to the first ranged to receive terminals of an electric circuit; and an extensionformedwipon` the 'second' conductorarranged to normally eX- tend ypast the opposite butt 'portion of the hinge and to engage 'the same; momentarily" to close a' circuitlwlien 'said hinge'Y butt is i movement of the Vith oneout'wardly extendingbutt/portion of the jhinge of a doorand arrangedto're- 'ceive one terminal of an electric circuit 'for groundingthe-saine` uponthe hinge; 'a second contactV mounted upon the lfirst vconductor and insulated therefrom 4said"second` `V conductor being arranged to receive'VV another terininal'of the'electric circuit, saidcircuit being 'broken l'ietweenl said conductors ,and a spring finger `formed upon the second icons" ductor arranged to normally*vextendtpast the oppositebutt portion'of the Ahinge and toenga'ge and form 'electrica-i'.'connections 'with thefhingeV momentarily .when the doorc is moved through a partially openposition.

3. An electric 'contaetc'ompri'sing cony ductor lshaped to detachably engage they sta-' tionaijyV butt of a" hingeandtarrangejdto re J ceive one terminal of an electric circuit'to groundthesame upon saidhinge; a second conductor having an Vextension arranged j to receivethe other terininalof the circuit,said

secondmconductor beingfprovided"` with a' spring/finger arranged to normally extend" 'past the'movable' butt of the hinge'anduto momentarily engage said movable butt 'when' moved thereunder; and a strip of insulating material' secured" between said 'conductors'4 whereby a circuit is completed throi'ighsaid" conductors only when both condiictorsen 4C. An electric contact comprising' a con# ductor stamped from .sheet metal' and shapedl to engageone'buttof'a hinge, said conductor..v

being arranged to receive one terminal of an electric circuit for grounding the same upon the hingega second contact arranged''tore ceive another terminal of the circuitfand provided witlran extension arrangedV to engage the other-butt of the hinge when' said hinge is in a partially open p`ositioii;'a strip of insulating material mounted between said conductors to normally break the circuitvbetween saidV conductors; and tabs formed upon the iirst conductor and bent over the insulating material to secure the insulating material and the second conductor thereon.

5. An electric contact comprising a pair of conductors arranged to receive terminals of an electric circuit; a strip of insulating material mounted between said conductors and folded to partially enclose one of the conductors; tabs formed upon the other conductor and bent against the folded portion of the insulating material to secure said insulating material and the first conductor upon the body of said other conductor; an extension formed upon one of the conductors to detachably engage in one butt of a hinge to form a grounding connection therewith; and a spring inger formed upon the other conductor to engage the other butt and form an electric connection therethrough When the hinge is in a partially open position.

In Witness whereof I hereunto set my signature.

IVILLIAM E. WILLIAMS. 

